The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1887-06-11

ne DC AOQOTeu WILL Gu0 ploo4u0uCy VI
the Catholic Total Abstinence Union Of
Minnesota.
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE.
THE IRISH STANDARD does not wish to be held
responsible for the opinions expressed by it's cor
respondents.1
Renyille County, MINI.
To the Editor of The Irish Standard.
DEAR S1R--A friend Of The IRISH
STANDARD lately visited Renville
County, this State, and while in search
of news items of interest to his country
men and co-religionists, had the good
fortune to meet one Of the best in
formed gentlemen and devout Catholics
in the State of Minnesota. 1t was Mr..
Patrick III. Kirwan. for many years
auditor of the county, and, therefore. in
good position to give faithful ac-
count of it's condition and prospects.
This county is not quite a hundred
miles from Minneapolis, and is easily
reached on the Watertown branch of
the St. Louis railroad, and by the Mil
waukee and St. Paul road, both Of
which intersect the county in almost
parallel lines from east to west. Mr..
Kirwan furnished the writer with such
well-prepared information that he de-
sires to give it to your readers literally
as he received it:
"Dear Friend-As by your recent re-
quest, hereby proceed to give you the
most important statistics relating to
our county. Our population is about
1900 souls. The county is traversed
on the northern side by the Hastings
and Dakota division of the Milwaukee
road, making AZ miles within our limits.
The Minneapolis and st. Louis road
runs through the southern part of the
county until it crosses the Minnesota
river at Morton and continues west
wardly on the south side Of the river.
The lands, which are largely prairie,
with a belt of timber along the river
Just named, are of excellent soil,
mostly black loan. The water is of
good and wholesome quality. The
county has a number of small lakes
which abound in good fish, which
proves the purity of the water and the
absence of alkali. There is State sale
of lands here generally twice a year,
after having advertised said sales about
six weeks previously. This land, as a
rule, brings from S. to So an acre, Is
per cent. payable at time Of purchase,
with per cent. per annum interest on
the balance payable in advance with 30
years to pay the remainder Of the prin.
cipal. But this balance may be paid to
the county treasurer at any time and in
any amount during these 30 years.
Surely this arrangement gives fine
chances to many poor families to get
homes in the very heart of a we'll
settled State. The acreage of crops for
the year 1887 is approximately as fol-
lows: Wheat, $4,000 acres; oats, 25,-
600. corn, 1900; barley, 5000; pota-
toes, 900 acres. The county has 5000
mich COWS and 1850 working horses.
We have five grist mills. There are at
present five Catholic churches within
our limits, with a probability of having
two more built this year. We have ten
villages, which make a lively COMPETE
ton in the grain market and also in the
output of the merchants. For the last
nine years the average Of the wheat
crop has been 18 bushels to the acre."
Mr.. Kirwan's address is Beaver
Falls, MINI. Surely, when we consider
the vast emigration to Dakota, it is no
harm to call halt in the onward march
of the army of workers and ask them to
take a look at the ADVANTAGES still open
in Minnesota. I may add that much
improved land may still be bought in
this county at from So to $40 an acre.
A FRIEND OF THE EMIGRANT.